Are you looking for the safest and most convenient to use convertible car seat available?
While all car seats on the market have passed NHTSA safety standards, some models go above and beyond with their advanced safety and ease-of-use features.
This guide to high-end car seats details some of the innovative features available in premium car seats today.
Britax One4Life ClickTight
Britax is known for making safe, easy to use car seats, and this is their top-of-the-line model. The One4Life is the most expensive convertible seat in their lineup.
It features a very high weight limit of 120 pounds, so your child won’t outgrow it before it’s time to stop using a child seat.
The ClickTight system in this model makes this model easier to install using your vehicle’s seat belt than any other brand. I’m a big fan of ClickTight seats – they’ve saved me a ton of time when traveling or when I remove seats to clean them.
Two layers of side impact protection provide head, neck, and torso coverage from side impacts.
The seat has a high level of adjustability for comfort. The headrest and shoulder harnesses can be easily clicked up or down to one of 15 positions. The recline can be set to one of 9 positions.
Rare to find in a car seat is a machine-washable cover. If your child has ever spilled milk or experienced car sickness in your vehicle, you’ll definitely appreciate the ability to throw the cover in the washing machine.
The One4Life ClickTight is my top recommendation for high-end car seats.
Diono Radian 3QXT
Diono has long been known for seats with high height and weight limits.
This makes them a great match for children in high percentiles for their age. The high limits also give you a lot of years of use out of their seats.
The Radian 3QXT fits up to 50 pounds rear-facing and 120 pounds forward-facing.
Another standout of the 3QXT (and other Diono seats) is the lack of bulk in their width. This allows you to fit 3 seats side-by-side in most vehicles while maintaining excellent side-impact protection.
Unlike other Diono models, the 3QXT adds a rear-facing anti-rebound bar. This adds protection against rear impacts when used in rear-facing mode.
The 3QXT, like the One4Life, fits from newborn until it’s time to no longer use a child seat.
Chicco NextFit
The NextFit has one of the easiest-to-use leveling systems out there. There are 9 total positions and a bubble level to show you the proper range for both forward and rear facing inclines.
Adjusting this seat for growth is also very easy. Simply move the headrest up to the proper height, and the straps will adjust automatically along with it.
This seat comes in a “Zip” version, which costs a bit more, but uses a removable and machine-washable cover.
When choosing a high end car seat, there are a lot of great options available. I recommend prioritizing whether ease-of-use features, added safety features, or the quality of materials are your deciding factors to help you make a choice.
Clek Foonf
This seat introduced more new safety features than any other seat in recent years.
It was the first convertible seat to use an Anti-Rebound bar. When used in the rear-facing position, this braces the child seat against the back seat of the car. This helps prevent the seat from rotating or tipping toward the back of the car in an accident.
The Foonf also has magnets installed underneath the fabric of the seat which you can use to hold the harnesses open. This keeps the straps from getting in the way when your child is getting into or out of the seat.
The “Crypton Super Fabrics” used in the seat are designed to resist stains, bacteria, and moisture. Liquids bead up on the seat and can be easily wiped off.
The expiration date for this seat is 9 years, which is the longest duration of any seat available, and allows you to use it far longer than the industry average of 6 years.
The Foonf is also one of the few car seats that are fully recyclable. If the seat has reached its expiration date or was damaged in a crash, you’ll need to pay a $20 fee which will cover return shipping to Clek through their recycling program.
Lastly, the Clek Foonf can be used rear facing up to 50 pounds! This is a full 10 pounds higher than most seats, and the highest on the market. Since using the rear facing position for as long as possible is safest, this alone could make this the safest seat available.
Peg Perego Primo Viaggio
In an effort to make car seat fabrics easy to clean, most end up with non-breathable materials which are too warm on an infant or toddler’s back. The Primo Viaggio uses a “Fresco Jersey” fabric which is still easy to clean, but doesn’t get hot like fabric in other seats.
The side impact protection is highly adjustable on this seat, with 10 different height positions to accommodate growth.
If you’re looking for a very safe seat which also blends in well with a black leather interior, the “Licorice” color has leather trim along the outer edge of the seats, making it one of the more stylish models out there.
Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G3
The Toddler Car Seat G3 is also a unique seat. Along with the Combi Zeus 360, it’s one of only two models that swivel to allow easy access to the seat. It can be rotated to any angle. So whether you’re using it front or rear facing, you can swivel it toward the car door to make placing your child into the seat simple.
Ever wished you could move your sleeping baby from the car to the stroller without disruption? This is the only stroller-compatible convertible car seat out there. You can remove the Toddler Seat from your car and lock it right into the Stroller Frame while your child remains in the seat.